The launch by HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan of this new school year reflects the interest of HM King Mohammed VI in supporting the education sector and His strong and constant commitment to strengthening the education system, promoting scientific research and consolidating the vocational training sector.
HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan followed, on this occasion, explanations on the measures taken by the ministry of National Education, Vocational Training, Higher Education and Scientific Research for the success of this new school year.
Some 7,870 million pupils are enrolled, of which 4,322,482 in the primary education, 1,722,949 in the secondary education, 1,026,296 in the upper secondary education, and 805,201 pupils in the preschool education.
Regarding vocational training, a total of 593 thousand trainees are enrolled in the various training courses (vocational baccalaureate, qualifying training, technician, specialized technician, etc.).
Higher education accounts for some 900 thousand students enrolled, of which 831,615 at universities, 41,000 at private institutes, and 32,400 at executive training institutions.
HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan also followed explanations on the royal initiative "One Million School Bags", launched by HM King Mohammed VI in 2008 and renewed annually.
Worth some 426 million dirhams, this initiative, to be run by bodies of territorial governance under the National Initiative for Human Development (INDH), involves all Moroccan provinces and prefectures. It benefits students in elementary and secondary schools and gives priority to the rural zone (64%). It is part of a solidarity-based approach and is meant primarily to ensure equal chances for education and fight school dropout.
This operation is an integral part of the nation-wide strategy to support schooled children and their families. This strategy also provides for a program that supports poor families dubbed "Tayssir" -a financial assistance granted on the condition of schooling the kids of the beneficiaries- as well as the programs of improving services of school meals and boarding schools and of school transportation.
On this occasion, HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan visited classrooms of the Abdelmoumen school and handed, symbolically, school bags and manuals to ten pupils from this school and to ten students from Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah secondary school in the Shoul commune (prefecture of Salé).
HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan posed afterwards for a souvenir photo with teachers and administrative executives of the Abdelmoumen school.
Upon his arrival at the Abdelmoumen school, HRH Crown Prince reviewed a detachment of the Royal Guard that was paying the honors and was greeted by mainly advisor to HM the King and chairman of the Higher Council of Education, Training and Scientific Research, Omar Azziman, and minister of National Education, Vocational Training, Higher Education and Scientific Research, Mohamed Hassad.